LP Suk (Wat Makham Thao)

LP Suk is one the most legendary ancient guru monks who ever lived. He is widely accepted in Thailand as the most accomplished grandmaster of Wicha (the occult arts).

Phra Kru Wimonkunagon or Luang Pu Suk Gesaroh was born during the reign of King Rama IV on the 14th of October B.E.2390 (C.E.1847) at Pak Khlong Makham Thao in the Wat Sing district of Chainat province. When LP Suk was 10 years old, his mother sent him to Krung Thep (Bangkok) to be raised by his uncle. LP Suk remained in Krung Thep until he got married and had a son. When LP Suk reached the age of ordination, he ordained as a monk at Wat Poh Tong Laang and received the ordination name of Gesaroh.

LP Suk studied Dhamma (Buddhist teachings) and Sammadhi (meditation) at Wat Poh Tong Laang until he was ready for Tudong (a long period of forest pilgrimage). During his Tudong period, he met many teachers whom he learned Wicha (occult arts) from.

One of the famous teachers who taught him Wicha was Phra Ajahn Thum Wua Daeng who was also the teacher of the legendary Luang Por Ngern of Wat Bang Klang.

After several years of Tudong, LP Suk returned to his hometown. His parents who waited many years for his return, asked LP Suk to remain at Pak Khlong Makham Thao. LP Suk obliged his parents and stayed at the village temple Wat Pak Khlong Makham Thao until he rose to become the abbot. LP Suk rebuilt the small village temple into a large beautiful monastery.

LP Suk had many disciples, both ordained and lay. One lay disciple who was very close to LP Suk was H.R.H. Prince of Chumpon, son of King Rama IV and father of The Royal Thai Navy. LP Suk taught him everything he knew about Dhamma and Wicha.

LP Suk is legendary for his Wicha. One of his powers was the ability to change the shapes and sizes of objects and from one life form to another. There are well known legends of him transforming elephants into house flies and transforming humans into crocodiles. These legends are known throughout Thailand, especially in Bangkok.

Once, a large group of merchants stopped by at Wat Pak Khlong Makham Thao to rest. During those days, merchants used elephants as a means of transportation.

The merchants wanted to cook their meals at the temple, but realized that they did not bring along enough meat. Some villagers jokingly asked them to use their rifles to shoot the pigeons at the temple so they could have pigeon meat for dinner. One of the merchants took the joke seriously and tried to fire his rifle at a pigeon but the rifle failed to fire.

The villagers stopped him and told him that LP Suk prohibits anyone from killing any living thing at the temple but the merchant refused to listen. He couldn’t get his rifle to fire so he then tried to use a cross-bow. The arrow flew towards the pigeon but fell to the ground after only a short distance, nowhere close to hitting the pigeon. The merchant then became furious and shouted "What great power does the abbot of this temple have?"

LP Suk, seemingly able to hear the merchant inside his kuti at an impossible distance, came out with hands carrying an empty coconut husk and went to the grazing field. He chanted a katha (mantra) at the coconut husk and pointed it at the direction where the merchants' elephants were grazing. Miraculously, the elephants turned into houseflies and LP Suk then trapped the houseflies in the empty coconut husk.

The next morning, when the merchants were about to depart, they could not find their elephants. They quickly went to LP Suk and told him that their elephants have been stolen. LP Suk preached to them the precept of not killing living beings: "If you kill a living being, the living being will feel pain. This is similar to the pain of losing your elephants." LP Suk then taught them Dhamma and asked them to practice good instead of bad deeds. The merchants then realized that it was LP Suk who was behind the strange happenings the previous day.

LP Suk led them out from his kuti, went to the grazing field, chanted a katha, removed the coconut husk and the houseflies turned into elephants once again. This miraculous event was witnessed by many.

This amazing ability to change objects and lifeforms into different shapes and sizes was LP Suk’s signature Wicha. He never taught anyone this except for Grom Luang Chum Pron, his favourite lay disciple but Grom Luang Chum Pron never taught it to anyone else until he passed away in the same year as LP Suk.

Luang Pu Suk Wat Makham Thao passed away on the 21st of January B.E.2466 (C.E.1923) at the age of 76 leaving a magnificent legacy.

LP Suk's amulets and takruts are some of the most sought after and revered in Thailand. Certain phim (mold) with special materials command prices comparable to that of Somdej Wat Rakang. Their rarity and high prices make them a distant dream for most amulet collectors to own any item of his.